The Unplanted Carrots | Beginner Watercolor Vegetable Basket

This week’s beginner watercolor tutorial is a cheerful basket filled with vegetables from my summer garden - zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, tomatoes, basil, and lettuce - plus one thing I haven’t actually grown yet: carrots.

There’s still one empty corner in my planter box.

I bought carrot seeds earlier this summer with every intention of planting them. I pictured myself pulling bright orange carrots out of the soil by their green tops and adding them to everything else I’d managed to grow.

But somehow, I never planted them.

The packet is still sitting in a drawer, that little patch of soil is still empty, and now I’m leaving on a trip. September will be here before I have another chance.

Painting the Basket I Was Hoping For

When I started planning this week’s Creative Heart Journal painting, I could have left the carrots out.

After all, my real garden has already given me plenty to paint: zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, purple basil, and leafy lettuce. My three little planter boxes have surprised me with how much they’ve produced this summer.

But when I pictured my watercolor vegetable basket, I wanted carrots in it.

So I painted them.

There they are, tucked right alongside everything that’s already real.

And maybe that’s what I like most about this little painting.

Not everything in a hopeful picture has to be finished yet. Sometimes there’s room for what you’ve already done and what you’re still hoping to do.

Painting With Our Summer Watercolor Palette

For this painting, I’m using the same five-color summer palette we’ve been working with in the Creative Heart Journal:

• Sunshine Yellow

• Sunset Coral

• Tidal Blue

• Shoreline Green

• Harbor Heart

One of the things I love about working with a limited watercolor palette is discovering all the colors hiding inside it.

There isn’t an orange in this palette, for example, so I mixed one for the carrots. I started with Sunshine Yellow and gradually added a little Sunset Coral until I had the warm orange I wanted.

If you’re painting along with me, always add the darker color into the lighter color a little at a time. It’s much easier to deepen your mixture than to lighten it again once you’ve gone too far.

And don't worry about matching my colors exactly. Use the watercolors you already have and make your basket your own.

An Easy Watercolor Project for Beginners

If you’re new to watercolor, this vegetable basket may look like it has a lot going on, but we’ll build it one simple shape at a time.

We’ll begin by lightly sketching or tracing the basket, vegetables, flowers, and sun. Then we’ll add our watercolor in layers - yellow first, followed by the greens and coral, violet details, the basket, and finally our little teal hearts.

Once everything is dry, we’ll add some simple details with permanent black and white fine-tip pens.

Remember, we're not trying to paint botanically perfect vegetables. These are whimsical vegetables. Your zucchini can lean a little. Your tomato doesn't have to be perfectly round. And your carrots certainly don't need to look exactly like mine.

That's part of the fun.

Watch the full Basket of Veggies watercolor tutorial on YouTube:

The Empty Corner

By the time you read this, I’ll be somewhere near the ocean, and that little patch of soil at home will still be empty.

And that’s alright.

It isn't really evidence of something I failed to accomplish. It's simply a space for something that hasn't happened yet.

Maybe carrots.

Maybe something else.

We'll see what September brings.

I think most seasons of life look a little like that - some things finished, some things growing, and some things still waiting for the right time to begin.

All of it belongs in the same basket.

A Little Creative Heart Practice

As you paint this week, think about something in your own life that is still in its “packet of seeds” stage.

Maybe it’s something you’d like to learn, somewhere you’d like to go, something you'd like to make, or simply an idea you haven't gotten around to yet.

You don't have to rush it.

For this week, our Creative Heart Practice is:

Today I trust that what’s still growing counts too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this watercolor vegetable basket suitable for beginners?

Yes! This project was designed with beginners in mind. The vegetables are made from simple shapes, and we're keeping the painting whimsical rather than realistic. You can also use the tracing pattern if you're not comfortable drawing the basket and vegetables yourself.

What watercolor colors do I need for this project?

I'm using my five-color Summer Seasonal Palette: Sunshine Yellow, Sunset Coral, Tidal Blue, Shoreline Green, and Harbor Heart. You don't need these exact paints, though. Choose similar colors from the watercolor paints you already own.

How do I mix orange for the carrots?

Start with Sunshine Yellow and gradually mix in a small amount of Sunset Coral until you reach a warm orange. Add the darker color to the lighter color a little at a time - you can always make your mixture deeper, but it's harder to lighten it once you've added too much.

Do I need to draw the vegetable basket myself?

No. You can lightly trace the provided pattern onto watercolor paper and then paint along with the tutorial. If you enjoy drawing, you can also use the pattern simply as inspiration and create your own basket.

What kind of paper should a beginner use?

Watercolor paper is important because it is designed to handle water without buckling and breaking down like ordinary paper. I recommend using watercolor paper rather than drawing or printer paper. You don't need expensive professional paper to enjoy this beginner project.

Can I use different vegetables in my basket?

Absolutely. Make it your own! Paint vegetables you've grown, vegetables from your local farmers market, or simply your favorites. You could add cucumbers, radishes, peas, herbs, or whatever happens to be growing in your imaginary garden.

Why are there carrots in the painting if you didn't grow carrots?

That's the little story behind this week's Creative Heart Journal! I bought the seeds and intended to plant them, but that corner of my planter box is still empty. I decided to paint the carrots anyway - a reminder that there's room in our creative lives for what we've already accomplished and what we're still hoping to do.

Where can I watch the full beginner watercolor tutorial?

The complete step-by-step watercolor vegetable basket tutorial is available on my YouTube channel. You can paint along with me from the initial sketch through the watercolor layers and final pen details.

Come Paint With Me

If you've been feeling that little pull to make something with your own hands, I'd love to have you join me.

The Creative Heart Journal arrives free every Friday with a simple watercolor project, color palette, and a little creative encouragement for your week.

Join the Creative Heart Journal

And if you'd rather paint together, you can also join me for my free monthly live watercolor class. No experience necessary - just bring your paints and come create with us.

Join the Next Free Painting Class

Goodbye, Summer Collection

This little vegetable basket is also the final painting in our six-week Summer Collection.

We’ve painted sandcastles, popsicles, garden gates, cottages, zinnias, and now a basket overflowing with the colors of a summer garden.

And next week, we're turning the page.

I'll be back with the very first Creative Heart Journal of our Fall Collection - with a brand-new seasonal watercolor palette and plenty of new things for us to paint together.

Until then, pick up your brush, make a little room at the kitchen table, and paint something that makes you happy.

With heart and color,
Donna